"The community wants us to do more in this space. Doing nothing is not an option."

She denied the government had dragged its feet as the second-last Australian state and territory to ban the bags of less than 35 microns in thickness, saying it wanted proper community consultation and the best policy.

The move comes after a federal parliamentary committee report on Tuesday recommended phasing out single-use plastics, including bags, by 2023 in a bid to tackle a crisis in recycling.